Ronald Koeman worked miracles last season to totally revamp Saints’ squad following a mass exodus, while also delivering their highest-ever PL finish to seal European qualification. With a crop of promising youngsters continuing to come through and Koeman spending his transfer kitty wisely after the departures of Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne this summer, Saints fans will be optimistic that they can try to muscle their way into the top six.

Saints have only one major honor in their 129-year history as a club, upsetting Manchester United to win the FA Cup in 1976.

Their main rivals are Portsmouth but with Pompey now in League Two (English soccer’s fourth tier), Saints will look to PL new boys Bournemouth as their closes rivals as just 30 miles separates the two south coast cities.

Last season: 7th in the Premier League – Saints qualified for the Europa League after recording their best-ever points tally and their highest-ever position in the PL. In Ronald Koeman’s debut season in England, the Dutch boss turned things around as a huge exodus of players (Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert to name a few) threatened to derail Saints’ recent upsurge. Koeman stayed cool and new stars emerged with Pelle, Tadic and Mane stealing the headlines. Southampton could have finished in fifth going into the final day of the season, as the St Mary’s faithful enjoyed the clubs best-ever PL campaign.

Star player: Sadio Mane – You get the sense that the Senegalese winger will kick things up a notch this season. Last year he struggled to get going early on after arriving from Red Bull Salzburg on Deadline Day, but the 23-year-old ended up scoring 10 goals in 31 appearances, including the fastest-ever hat trick in PL history with a treble in two minutes and 56 seconds against Aston Villa. Mane’s pace scares the life out of PL defenders and along with Tadic, Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez, he will feed off the knock downs from Pelle.

Coach’s corner: It’s difficult to put into words the job Koeman has done at Southampton. Along with his brother, Erwin, as his assistant, plus Sammy Lee and Dave Watson, the Dutchman has revitalized Saints into team that is know for not only giving youngsters a chance, but also staying tight at the back and managing to play attractive soccer that has won the hearts of neutrals across the globe. He has a contract through the end of the 2016-17 season with Saints, but surely they will look to extend that as soon as possible. A legendary player during his days with Barcelona and Holland, don’t be surprised if Koeman become one of the top managers in the world in the coming years.

Koeman excelled in his debut season in charge of Saints.

PST predicts: This all depends on how far Southampton go in the Europa League. If they make it to the group stages, their squad could be stretched to its limits and we’ve all seen how other PL teams have struggled to deal with that in the past. But, Koeman has replaced Clyne and Schnedierlin expertly while all addressing the weak areas of his squad. Expect another top 10 finish from Saints, with top six not out of the questions, as they will also aim to cause a splash in Europe and in the domestic cup competitions.

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This match almost had it all: a battle against relegation, a triple substitution, plenty of goals, and almost, almost a fairy-tale comeback from the underdogs. But in the end the hosts took all three points, leaving Norwich just four points above the drop.

Right from the start Southampton were on top, with James Ward-Prowse very nearly opening the scoring after just two minutes. His header went wide, but it mattered little, as Saints were in front by the fifth minute.

The Norwich defense were cut apart, with neither of the Canaries’ defensive midfielders picking up on the run of Gastón Ramírez. Jay Rodriguez laid off the ball for Morgan Schneiderlin, whose neatly clipped shot sailed over John Ruddy to land in the back of the net.

The hosts weren’t about to slow down, however, continuing to pile pressure on Norwich. Ramírez put in a lovely ball that Rodriguez just missed. Steven Davis was able to latch on, but his shot went just wide. Moments later, Ramírez was having a go himself, from 20 yards, but his curling shot went wide as well. It’s tough to believe he hadn’t started since the first day of 2014.

After about the half-hour mark, Norwich started to ease their way into the game. The visitors’ first chance came when Robert Snodgrass played in Gary Hooper, but the front man’s shot went wide. Anthony Pilkington put in a decent sharp drive, but it was blocked before threatening Artur Boruc’s goal.

It was Southampton that came back roaring after the restart, however. José Fonte slid a long ball through to Ramírez, but Ryan Bennett got in the way. The Norwich defender flicked on to Rickie Lambert, who’d been on for just a minute. The forward slipped past Jos Hooiveld to double his side’s lead.

It was then that Chris Hughton decided to make a change…or three. Off came Pilkington, Hooper and Bradley Johnson; on came Nathan Redmond, Johan Elmander and Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

Jay Rodriguez put in Southampton’s third goal. John Ruddy had managed to save Guly Do Prado’s original shot, but the rebound fell to Rodriguez, who had no trouble putting it away. 3-0, and it looked as though the Saints were coasting to victory.

Hughton’s triple substitution, however, proved to be quite effective. Fonte made a hash of a pass to Boruc, which Elmander was able to intercept, slotting past the goalkeeper. Then, less than two minutes later, van Wolfswinkel’s shot was deflected into the path of Snodgrass, and the Canaries were within a goal of snatching a point.

Alas, the fairy-tale comeback fell short. Instead it was Southampton that grabbed the final goal, almost with the last move of the match. Alexander Tettey’s slip allowed Sam Gallagher – again, on just minutes before – the chance to latch on to a through ball and put in the Saints fourth and final goal.

If Wednesday’s League Cup exit gave fans reason to doubt, Sunday’s win at St. Mary’s will be cause for belief. Against a Southampton side whose defensive prowess once vaulted them into the top four, Tottenham scored three times, and while Jos Hooiveld’s own goal boosted that mark, Tim Sherwood’s side showed a restored Emmanuel Adebayor (two goals), 4-4-2 formation, and midfield chosen with attacking intent might reverse Spurs’ fortunes. Their 3-2 win at Saints, their first League game since Villas-Boas’s departure, was their best win of the season.

There were a few other take homes, ones that undermine any premature Spurs reborn narrative. Southampton, who haven’t won since Nov. 9 (and haven’t beaten a team in the league’s top half since Sept. 29), were just as culpable for the result. Only two games into Sherwood’s stewardship, it’s still too early to draw conclusions about turned corners, though the collapse the team was experiencing under their former boss has stopped. Spurs may have steadied the ship, but it’s also too early to tell where it’s going.

Though many noted Villas-Boas’s virtues when he left, change for change’s sake may have been enough. At home to West Brom and Stoke over the week, the now seventh placed Spurs may have acted just in time. Sunday’s performance gives them reason to believe things are getting better, something that clearly wasn’t happening under their former manager.

Nowhere in the world do they laud a temporary first like they do in England. Elsewhere, Liverpool reaching the top of the table would be reported while noting the match day’s not over, and in many places that cover the Premier League, they’re showing that kind of restraint. But with Arsenal hosting Chelsea on Monday, the Reds could finish Round 17 where they started: Second place.

Yet after their 3-1 win versus Cardiff City, Liverpool’s potentially fleeting position is being lauded as progress. And to a certain extent, it is, provided the right context can be applied. Luis Suárez continues to remind England what they’re in store for next summer, scoring his 18th and 19th goals of the season. An improving Reds defense only conceded once up three goals. In a league where only Manchester City seems to be hitting its stride, Liverpool’s form may be enough to keep them in the race. With questions having evolved from whether they’re Champions League contenders to doubts about their title credentials, the Reds have certainly earned their accolades.

That, instead of premature celebrations about first place, is Liverpool’s real progress. Most expected Brendan Rodgers’ team to move forward in 2013-14, but with Spurs having brought in so much new talent, few saw the Reds doing more than pestering the top five.

After 17 games, Liverpool has transcended those expectations, and although they may yet regress once the calendar turns, the ease of Saturday’s win highlights how far they’ve come.

3. Days and nights of Vincent Tan

The flip side of Saturday’s match at Anfield: the chaos that is Cardiff City. Had the Bluebirds lost to Liverpool under any other circumstances, the defeat would have been seen as an expected one. That it came after a fortnight where Malky Mackay declared the need for reinforcements, was publicly rebuked by ownership, and was asked to resign made the defeat into a plot point in a larger drama. How long until Mackay is written out?

Public perception has fallen in favor of Mackay, a sentiment with which I don’t necessarily disagree. There is, however, a scenario where Tan’s predilections make sense. If Mackay (and Ian Moody) really did drastically overspend this summer, Tan had reason to be concerned. Not only has Mackay not made good on that investment (Cardiff four points above the drop), but he’s show his truculence in the face of a fired Head of Recruitment. Now, asking for more money (and doing so through the media), it might be fair for Tan to ask whether another man can stick to budgets, not complain in the press, and produce a better product on the field. Didn’t Steve Clarke just become available?

It all depends on which side you believe. Of course, you can choose to believe neither and just see how things unfold. Regardless, the soap opera being directed by Vincent Tan is bound for another turn, even if Cardiff’s benefactor hopes to calm things down.

4. MANCHESTER City wants all the goals

Four years ago, Chelsea set a record for goals in a Premier League season, scoring 102 times. After 17 rounds, Manchester City’s already halfway there. When James Milner’s 83rd minute score made it 4-2 at Craven Cottage, City had their 51st goal of the season, putting them on pace to score 114 times over 38 rounds.

Odds are they’ll slow up a little, regression and all. Yet through 17 rounds, they’ve already built up a bit of a cushion. When they slow up, they’ll still have to creep far under Chelsea’s 2.68 goals per game to fall short of the Blues’ mark. After yesterday’s outburst on the Thames, City’s averaging an even three-per-match.

If anything, City is trending the other way. Over their last six matches, the Citizens have scored 19 times, putting up six against the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal. Though losing Sergio Agüero until late January could slow them down, an attack led by Edin Dzeko and Álvaro Negredo still scored four times at Fulham. And without Agüero in Munich, City managed three on Bayern.

Like others who changed managers this offseason, City has needed time to adjust. Unfortunately for the rest of England, that adjustment period seemed to be over. Though they’ll sit third come Monday evening, City is the best team in England. And if Arsenal loses, they’ll only be one point out.

5. THE TOFFEES Barkleys OF EVERTON

Everton are improved at every level of the field. Even players like Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka, and Sylvain Distin — players who’ve been held over from David Moyes’ time at Goodison — are performing better this year. Forging the league’s best defense (16 goals allowed), Roberto Martínez’s team sits fourth in the Premier League, its 2-1 win over Swansea leaving the Toffees in a Champions League spot pending tomorrow’s result.

In a World Cup year, however, it’s no surprise that a young Englishman has garnered much of the attention, though 20-year-old Ross Barkley is one of a litany of players who’ve fueled Everton’s rise. But as a long-discussed product of the team’s academy, the attacking midfielder is a natural source of speculation. Carrying the hopes of a local and national fan base, Barkley represents England’s latest Wilshere-esque conundrum: Is he really as good as the hype suggests?

On Sunday, however, Barkley’s impact was undeniable. With the match drawn in the 84th minute, the World Cup hopeful delivered a moment to match his manager’s superlatives – a free kick fired against the bottom of the crossbar and beyond the line, delivering all three points for Everton.

In Wales, Barkley lived up to the hype, something no player’s capably of doing on a regular basis. But with a few more performances like today’s (one that was excellent beyond the match-winner) Barkley will become the new Wilshere, even if the Everton product is only one year younger.

6. surge becomes baseline

Newcastle’s 3-0 win at Selhurst Park quelled any momentum the Eagles had built since Tony Pulis’s appointment. More than that, it affirmed the Magpies as more than mere upstarts. It’s one thing to get a team up for performances against Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester United, but it’s another for Newcastle to dominate games they can control. Ahead for 65 minutes on Saturday, Newcastle’s sixth win in eight was never in doubt, hinting at a level of control that goes beyond a mere hot streak.

Given the highs of this run (those wins over Chelsea, Spurs, and United) as well as the more mundane results (Saturday at Palace), can we say this is more than a surge? This doesn’t look like a team running on momentum or emotion, producing transcendent results. Even in their one loss in that stretch, a 3-0 defeat at Swansea, they looked fine. At what point do we say this is the real Newcastle, admitting the early season performances that had made Pardew’s job a point of speculation were probably the aberrations?

Perhaps, 17 games into the season, it’s too early to do that, but it’s worth considering: What does Newcastle have to do to prove themselves contenders for a (say) top-third spot? At some point we should answer that question, let the season play out, and stop doubting the Magpies if they happen to reach that mark.

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A number of gaping chances for Newcastle went begging but Loic Remy couldn’t finish as Jay Rodriguez ensured a point for visiting Southampton at St. James Park.

Southampton were on top of the possession battle early on, owning 67% of the time in the first half hour.

Despite the early jabs by Southampton, the opening chance fell to Newcastle’s Loic Remy, and it was a gaping opportunity.

Shola Ameobi found himself with space on the edge of the box in the 12th minute, and he cut it back for Remy with the goalkeeper having come out to challenge. The goal was gaping, but Calum Chambers cleared it off the line with a solid block.

Southampton began to build an attack of their own, and a few dangerous balls into the box developed a chance or two. James Ward-Prowse let fly in the 16th but it bent right to Jussi Jaaskelainen down low.

Newcastle found the breakthrough finally in the 27th minute, thanks to a bit of a mistake at the back by Southampton. With a long-distance free kick coming in, Mike Williamson put a head on the ball towards the front of the goal.

The ball fell to Saints defender Jos Hooiveld, but he whiffed entirely on the clear, and the ball instead found Yoan Gouffran who skipped past Gazzaniga and finished into the empty net.

Loic Remy missed a pair of sitters that left Newcastle with just a single point.

The second half came and both teams traded blows, but nobody could capitalize.

Finally Southampton made the most of a chance, but it didn’t come from a build-up as they’d been trying to do all match.

It was a counter-attack that leveled for the visitors, as Jay Rodriguez broke with the two-on-one, and he played brilliantly with Steven Davis, and Rodriguez received the ball back perfectly just onsides before a first-touch finish.

The game exploded open. Southampton came close to going ahead just minutes later, and then Newcastle bungled a wonderful opportunity to retake the lead, as Loic Remy botched his second clear chance of the match.

After Newcastle pressed a bit, Paulo Gazzaniga gave the ball right back to Remy, and with nobody around Remy blasted well over with a chance to kill off the visitors.

Referee Mike Jones had a very rough last few minutes.

Moussa Sissoko was attempting to help up Gazzaniga during a stoppage of play as time wound down, but Gazzaniga didn’t appreciate the assistance. He pushed Sissoko’s hand away, and a flailing elbow caught Jones in the face, knocking him to the ground. Flagrant 1!

Jones received treatment for a bloodied nose, and not moments later he was called into action again. A bench fracas broke out, with assistant coaches from both sides getting into a tussle the referee was forced to break up.

It’s an unfortunate draw for both sides, but Newcastle will be disappointed with the result having wasted a number of chances. They fail to jump Tottenham Hotspur, instead drawing even with Spurs on points in sixth position.

Southampton also could have desperately used three points, but will be a little happier with the away result as they go two clear of Manchester United in eighth place.